Parents + Families

These are the first activity guidelines that support families to raise healthy under-fives by providing comprehensive advice on physical activity, active play, sleep and screen time for under-fives.New Zealand is the first country to integrate sleep with its advice for parents and caregivers of children under five years, which shows a more holistic approach to children’s health and development. . . . more

Resilience is a 21st Century parenting concept that every parent needs to understand.
Some kids are resilient by nature – their temperament helps them to be mentally and psychologically tough. You know those kids. They get straight back up after a setback or disappointment. Rejection in the playground doesn’t faze them. Unfortunately, not every child has such natural resilience. . . . more

Kiwi parents need to be more vigilant in monitoring their children for ear infections if we want to prevent hearing loss and reduce the numbers admitted to hospital annually, according to a leading Starship surgeon. Each year more than 5,000 Kiwi children are hospitalised with serious ear infections which if not treated, could lead to permanent hearing loss.1-3 . . . more

Activating Communities through Active Schools is an introduction and guide for organisations, clubs, parents and volunteers supporting Active Schools.

Active Schools is all about encouraging New Zealand children to choose and enjoy physical activity. In every community and region, the more that schools, organisations and clubs work together to achieve this goal, the more our nation?s childr . . . more

A recent study in the United States has shown that emotional trauma such as abuse or witnessing domestic abuse may inhibit children?s intellectual ability. The research showed that this is more damaging when it occurs in the first two years of their life.
The U.S. study included 206 children whose intellectual development was assessed . . . more

New babies can sleep for an average of 16 hours a day in the first few months, so it?s important that the baby?s sleeping area is safe and comforting. Safe sleeping positions can also help reduce the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS or SUDI), the causes of which are still largely unknown. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help reduce the risk to your baby.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
A group of concerned Grandparents whose role is the primary caregiver of their grandchildren found that their situation was unique and stressful. They subsequently formed the Parenting Second Time Around to facilitate: - Support - Action -Research There are significant numbers of grandparents raising their grandchildren as the primary caregiver. The grandparents . . . more

Great Fathers initiator Dave Owens says: ?When I first came across the articles of Dr Robin Fancourt, her book Brainy Babies and the Brainwave Trust - and began to understand how fragile and impressionable young babies brains are - I felt a huge sense of anguish. I realised what I hadn?t known when I was a young dad. And I felt that the lives of my children might have been different ha . . . more